JOHNSTON, Iowa (June 8, 2026) — Effective Immediately, Stage 3 water restrictions are in effect and lawn watering is banned. Stop watering your lawn right away. Because high levels of nitrate concentrations continue to impact production capacity, an irrigation ban is in effect. This will keep demand low enough for our treatment facilities to continue producing water that meets EPA safety standards.

“Conditions have reached a point where mandatory conservation is necessary to protect reliable water service for more than 600,000 people across central Iowa,” said CIWW Executive Director Tami Madsen. “We are using every available tool in our system to maintain safe drinking water. Now we now need every customer’s help in reducing demand to maintain safe drinking water standards.”

Water in your tap is safe to use for drinking, cooking, bathing and other household uses. This irrigation ban is a preventative measure to make sure nitrate levels in finished water do not go above the recommended maximum, which would carry risks for certain vulnerable groups, such as infants and pregnant women.
What actions should you take:

• Do not water lawns. If you have an automatic sprinkler system, turn it off completely.

• There is an exception for new sod or seed to use only the minimum necessary for plant health. Follow the guidelines from Iowa State University Outreach and Extension linked in the comments.

• You may water gardens, but only use the minimum needed to maintain plant health. Stand with the hose or watering to control the flow and water in early morning hours before 9 a.m. so less water is lost to evaporation.

• Do not fill pools. Decorative water features that do not recirculate water should be turned off.

• Skip washing cars in the driveway, outdoor water play with sprinklers or other non-essential heavy water using activities whenever possible. The splash pad at the Johnston Town Center remains open during normal hours, but may be adjusted as needed.

• Please share this message with neighbors or friends who may have missed it, so they do their part to reduce water demand.

Use these water-saving habits inside:

• Look for dripping or leaking faucets, hoses or toilets and fix them fast.

• Only run dishwashers and washing machines when full.

• Take shorter showers and turn off water while brushing teeth, shaving or washing dishes.

Irrigation of lawns is the largest source of increased demand in summer, sometimes doubling the amount of water drawn from the system.
Thank you for doing your part to keep water safe and protect the water supply for everyone.